[fjm]

Poppy was recovering well from her bout of bloody diarrhoea and vomiting 10 days ago, but since finishing the metrodinazole at the weekend she has started vomiting a few hours after meals, and is obviously uncomfortable and not herself. I have been feeding her Royal Canin gastro sensitivity, which she loved and which rapidly stopped the diarrhoea and got her back to Perfect Poos (including one yesterday morning), but after 48 hours of throwing up most meals she decided she didn't want to eat it, although she was very keen to have something else. I added a tiny bit of cooked chicken to a small spoonful of RC, and she ate it all. Part of me thinks it might be better to starve her, but current advice is that the digestive system recovers more quickly if it is kept gently working with frequent small, bland meals. She is getting a Zitac dose every day to reduce acid, is drinking well, and has not lost any weight. It does not hurt her to rub her tummy, but she is showing signs of nausea and discomfort.

My vet thinks it will settle down as her digestive system recovers - the metrodinazole has a calming effect as well as being an AB, which may explain why she was so much more comfortable while taking it. If she doesn't pick up be tomorrow I will make a vet appointment. My anxieties immediately jump to worst case scenarios - cancer? Addisons? Has anyone else experienced this sort of thing? She has had minor gastric upsets before, and is prone to acid tummy, but never anything like this.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I'm so sorry

As I've mentioned, my only experience with this sort of gastro distress was when Gracie couldn't tolerate liver (culminated in bloody diarrhea) and when Peggy couldn't tolerate the food sent home by her breeder (vomited it up every single time within a few hours).

I wish I had more to offer, as I imagine you've explored all dietary options at this point. I'm so sorry if I'm forgetting, but have you tried giving her just plain boiled white chicken for a few days and then following up with a formal elimination diet?

Amazing really that she's not lost weight. Good girl, Poppy. Sending my best.

 

[fjm]

Thanks PtP - The gastro sensitivity diet has always been even more effective than chicken and rice, and settled her tummy so thoroughly last week that my vet recommended putting her on to it permanently, so I don't think this is an intolerance. I think there is something else going on - vet suspects she has had an ulcer, which would explain the symptoms. She was so much better last week that I hoped we were past the worst, but this queasiness has me worried it may be the start of something instead!

PS Sophy had exactly the same reaction to dried liver treats as Peggy, even in tiny quantities. She is fine with small amounts fresh or cooked, but dried - NOT!

 

[Newport]

So sorry to hear Poppy's tummy troubles are continuing. I know you are working closely with your vet, which is for the best. Did you mean to say that she currently has an ulcer or maybe had one in the past?

Of course I do not know what is going on with Poppy, but these are some thoughts. Can the cycle be stopped with anti nausea medication? Is it possible she is experiencing gastroparesis (a slowing down of the GI tract that can be mild/mod/severe, leading the stomach to empty slowly/not at all, often with nausea/vomiting)? In which case, can peristalsis be speeded up with meds? Sometimes humans experience gastroparesis because of neuropathy or ulcerative colitis. There are many areas of the brain that can trigger nausea, so sometimes persistent nausea has a central nervous system cause instead of gastrointestinal. Another possibility is a stricture in her GI tract (in humans these can resolve with time if caused by a viral infection, be resolved with surgery, sometimes/rarely they can be lived with). Do you have the option of seeing a veterinary GI specialist? It might be time to ask your vet for a referral. At the point that you feel everything has been tried, consider prednisone or anti anxiety medications. These thoughts are shared in the spirit of brainstorming to perhaps spark an idea that may lead to solutions.

Poppy is a lovely girl, and I hope she is feeling better very soon. Warm thoughts for you both!

 

[Mufar42]

Sorry Poppy isn't quite herself yet The only thing I can share is what went with my cairn terrier and I think I have already. We have determined she has IBS and part of her intestine wall has thickened. She cannot tolerate anything other than soft food which includes softening her kibble. The only treat she can tolerate is instincts toppers, she only gets about 2-3 a day. I hope you find what works for Poppy. I'd probably do as your doing and just keep her on a bland diet for another 5-7 days while her digestive tract continues to heal. Maybe just boiled chicken & rice?

 

[fjm]

Thanks Newport - the vet thinks her bleeding at the beginning of this episode was probably caused by an ulcer. I think the latest vomiting may have been as simple as increasing the amount I was feeding her at each meal too fast. She did another Perfect Poo this morning, so food is getting through OK, and she has if anything gained weight, so nothing to worry about there. I gave her a very tiny breakfast at 7am, and another tiny meal at 12 noon - we will see if that one also stays down. She has definitely decided it is the special food that is the culprit, but I am reluctant to change from that as it has been so effective sorting out the earlier vomiting and diarrhoea - fortunately adding a little bit of something else makes it palatable again. I do sympathise with her - there are things I cannot eat or drink after they became associated with unpleasant results - I used to love a dry martini until some idiot spiked the vermouth with medical alcohol... I have bought in a huge stock of cans of gastro sensitive diet, but if she goes off it completely the local dog rescue will no doubt be able to use it!

I suppose I just expect things to get better very quickly - an ulcer takes weeks to heal completely, but she was so much better in a few days I was hoping that speed of recovery would continue, and I should have anticipated set backs. I am sure if the problem continues my vet will be more than happy to refer me to a specialist, but it is still early days for that. It is only 10 days since she had a bout of severe bleeding, etc, and everything was going exactly as it should until this latest bout started 48 hours ago. She is rather better this morning - not bouncy, but not as queasy - so we may be back on track, and the weather is foul so a lazy day at home suits all of us. But do keep passing on your experiences and brain storming - the more information the better if the vomiting does continue, or the gastritis looks like becoming a chronic condition.

I have asked my vet about drugs for anxiety, but he would prefer to wait a few weeks and see if she improves when the shooting season ends. I have bought an Adaptil collar, on the May-help-won't-harm principle, but I think at the moment the anxiety, discomfort and nausea are creating a vicious circle, and the vet is right that we need to concentrate on getting her tummy comfortable, and then see how she is.

 

[Mufar42]

Sorry Poppy isn't quite herself yet The only thing I can share is what went with my cairn terrier and I think I have already. We have determined she has IBS and part of her intestine wall has thickened. She cannot tolerate anything other than soft food which includes softening her kibble. The only treat she can tolerate is instincts toppers, she only gets about 2-3 a day. I hope you find what works for Poppy. I'd probably do as your doing and just keep her on a bland diet for another 5-7 days while her digestive tract continues to heal. Maybe just boiled chicken & rice?

 

[Starvt]

Years ago I had a dog that kept having hours of bloody, mucousy stool. After lots of testing that came back negative, he just stayed on the veterinary GI food for several years. Eventually I slowly, tentatively switched him to a regular food and he did fine after that. So maybe keeping her on the food (if you can convince her it's ok again!) is an option.
I'm assuming the vet has checked for pancreatitis (increased Lipase and abnormal cPli on blood work).
Have you tried sucralfate for Poppy? It's a gastroprotectant that is often used for cases of potential ulcers, and could be given longer term while her gut heals.

 

[Starvt]

Oh, and like Newport said, an anti-nausea like cerenia (can be given daily as needed) so that she doesn't develop food aversions while she is healing.

 

[Dechi]

I’m sorry Poppy isn’t well. I have no advice but wish her a quick recovery. I will be thinking about her.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Gosh. I can't imagine what would cause an otherwise healthy dog to get an ulcer. Poor poor Poppy.

Hoping you continue seeing improvements. I like that your vet is treating this conservatively, but if it will take a while to get in with a specialist, might be worth setting up an appointment. Can always cancel.

 

[fjm]

We are now trying a variant on chicken and rice - ground rice with a splash of chicken stock (I carefully skimmed the fat off), and just a little bit of chicken. Poppy has been hopefully gazing at the cat's food, and sniffing around outside to see if they have dropped anything, so she is hungry - just not for the food that will do her most good!

She has always been rather nervous, PP, and since she was spayed about 18 months ago it seems to have got worse. She has shown signs of stress colitis and acid reflux, but never very serious or long lasting. But nor is she showing any symptoms of the nasty diseases that can trigger ulcers. Last week she was boinging around like a two-year old, she only really started feeling rough after a rather large meal on Sunday morning. She is now mostly keeping food down if it is very small bland meals, so I am hoping she is on the mend - I need to be careful and not try to rush things.

 

[lily cd re]

I am sorry to hear Poppy is still having a stressed up belly. I hope that your current routine helps. We are all looking forward to good news ASAP.

 

[Poodlebeguiled]

I'm so sorry for Poppy and you. I hope the ulcer is the only culprit and not some other thing like Addison's or pancreatitis. I won't attempt to give medical advice, as you seem to have a good relationship with your vet. I sure hope she'll get over this soon and be okay. Lots of good health vibes coming your way.

 

[scooterscout99]

I’m sorry to hear about Poppy’s distress. I have a beagle-mix who is noise sensitive. After many years I investigated anti-anxiety meds and she’s now taking alprazolam (xanax). Admittedly, it’s not fool-proof. We encountered gunfire on a Christmas Day walk about and she started trembling. She bounced right back when I packed the dogs in the car and drove to a gun-free location. But it is effective most of the time, including the New Years Eve fireworks and most thunderstorms. I’d tried DAP collars and sprays, Rescue Remedy, and a thunder shirt, and all of the above together, with no improvement. Sending best wishes for a quick recovery for the gastric troubles.

 

[Charlie's Person]

Poppy was recovering well from her bout of bloody diarrhoea and vomiting 10 days ago, but since finishing the metrodinazole at the weekend she has started vomiting a few hours after meals, and is obviously uncomfortable and not herself. I have been feeding her Royal Canin gastro sensitivity, which she loved and which rapidly stopped the diarrhoea and got her back to Perfect Poos (including one yesterday morning), but after 48 hours of throwing up most meals she decided she didn't want to eat it, although she was very keen to have something else. I added a tiny bit of cooked chicken to a small spoonful of RC, and she ate it all. Part of me thinks it might be better to starve her, but current advice is that the digestive system recovers more quickly if it is kept gently working with frequent small, bland meals. She is getting a Zitac dose every day to reduce acid, is drinking well, and has not lost any weight. It does not hurt her to rub her tummy, but she is showing signs of nausea and discomfort.

My vet thinks it will settle down as her digestive system recovers - the metrodinazole has a calming effect as well as being an AB, which may explain why she was so much more comfortable while taking it. If she doesn't pick up be tomorrow I will make a vet appointment. My anxieties immediately jump to worst case scenarios - cancer? Addisons? Has anyone else experienced this sort of thing? She has had minor gastric upsets before, and is prone to acid tummy, but never anything like this.

Poor poppy! Get well soon!

Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk

 

[Asta's Mom]

Oh dear Poppy - hope you are on the mend soon. Thoughts and prayers from Alabama.

 

[fjm]

She has now decided all the bland food I offer her is poison, so I am about to make a vet appointment. I think she needs something to control the nausea, at least. I will let you know how we get on.

 

[Rose n Poos]

I'm so sorry to hear that she's taken a step backwards. I have no advice, since no experience with this, but will have Poppy and you (and Sophy, and Cats) in my thoughts and hope she's feeling herself again very soon.

 

[Porkchop]

Add me to the list of people keeping you in our thoughts. How stressful and scary. Your girl sounds like a trooper though. So sorry you have to go through this.